Container for foods



Jan. 5, 1960 W. H. ALLEN CONTAINER FOR FOODS Filed July 7, 1958 United States Patent CONTAINER FOR FOODS William H. Allen, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Alle n Cartons, Inc., Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 7, 1958, Serial No. 746,899

6 Claims. (C1. 229-87) supermarkets in pre-packaged form, an effective packaging means having low cost, durability and ease of fabrication is much sought after'. The instant invention pro vides such a packaging means which is made from a paper blankv folded in a prescribed manner and which has good characteristics of strength and rigidity.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a simple, effective container for foodstuffs.

A further object is to provide a container for foodstuffs, which container has superior characteristics o strength and rigidity.

An' additional object is to provide a container for foodstuffs, which container may be fabricated from a paper blank which is appropriately cut and scored in accordance with the manner in which it is to be folded to form the container. u

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof, the method of manufacture and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view showing the blank from which the container of the present invention is formed;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the completed container filled with strips of bacon;

Figure 3 is an end view of the completed container;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 6 6 of Figure 2.

Figure 1 shows a blank 10 of paperboard, cardboard or other suitable material from which the container of the present invention is formed. Blank 10 includes a base member 11, end liaps 12 and 13 and a covering flap 14. The corners 16 have been rounded to prevent tearing of a transparent cover member, not shown. A pair of score lines 17 and 18 are also provided between each of the end aps 12 and 13 and the base member 11. The score lines 17 and 18 are separated by a distance which is equal to that desired for the depth of the container and are connected to each other at each end by short, rounded score lines 19 and 20. The score lines 17, 18, 19 and 20 define end walls which are formed when the end flaps 12 and 13 are folded over the base member 11, as will be subsequently described. Score lines are provided in each corner of the container. By extending the score lines 17 and 18, it can readily be lCe seen that the score lines 15 are midway between the extended score lines 17 and 18. The covering ap`14 is foldable over the base 11 on a score line 14b. The covering flap 14 has the ends 14a cut to conform to the end of the container.

Crease lines 21 and 22 are provided on each of the end flaps to permit the corners of the end liaps to be foldedv at a slight angle to the remainder of said aps, so that said corners will conform to the general shape of the lled package. In a similar manner, crease lines 23 and 24 are provided for the corners of the covering ap 14. These lines enable the corners of the flap 14 to be foldedv to conform with the shape of the lled package.

In Figures 2 to 6 inclusive is shown the blank 10 of Figure 1 formed as a container for a plurality of slices 25 of bacon which have been placed overlapping each other on the base member 11. It will be seen that many other types of food, such as sandwich meats, et cetera, may be packaged using the novel container of the present invention. The end flaps 12 and 13 have been folded up and over the base member and the slices 25 of bacon thereon, and the covering ap 14 has then been folded up and over the end flaps 12 and 13.

It will be seen that folding of the end llaps 12 and 13 provides vertical end walls 26 which extend between the horizontal score lines 17 and 18 and between the generally vertical score lines 19 and 20. The end walls 26 taper at either end down from the lines 19 and 20 to a point contiguous to the score lines 15 and these tapered portions are defined generally by broken corners 27 and 28 formed in the paper by folding of the end flaps. Permitting the blank to be deformed along slightly irregular lines to provide the broken corners 27 and 28, rather than providing score lines for these corners, minimizes the likelihood of sharp corners on the containers which might interfere with the packaging process. Since the folds along lines 17 and 18 are displaced from the score lines 15, the tapered end portions of the end walls are at a slight angle to therectangular portion of thek end walls defined by the score lines 17, 18, 19 and 20, as may be seen in Figures 2 and 6. The extreme ends formed by folding along the fold lines 15 project outwardly from the end wall 26. This aids in retaining the end walls in rigid upright position and provides a container having superior characteristics of strength and rigidity and one which is shaped in conformity with its contents, as best seen in Figure 4.

The container, as shown in Figure 2, may be wrapped and sealed with transparent paper or plastic material to keep the contents lclean and fresh and to provide a package which has visual appeal to a prospective purchaser.

Of course, it will be seen that variations in this container may be made within the scope of the invention. For example, a container with only one end flap, such as 12, and, consequently, only one end wall 26, might be used, if desired.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, lthe combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A container for packaging a plurality of thin liexv ible overlapped food slices comprising, in combination,

Patented Jan. 5, 1960:

the base member in the area of their joinder; a second pair of score lines interconnecting said first pair of score lines at the ends of said first pair of score lines; a third pair of score lines near the corners and parallel to the rst pair of score lines and midway between the first pair 0f score lines extended; and a top covering member adapted to be folded over the end flaps when these in turn are folded over the base member, the two pairs of score lines associated with each end flap acting to produce an end wall which is rigid with respect to the base member and which separates the end aps and the covering member from the base member sufficiently to provide room for the food slices within the folded container when the end flaps are folded over the base member.

2. A container for packaging a plurality of thin ilexible overlapped slices of food according to claim 1 in which the end flaps and the covering member are provided with diagonal crease lines adjacent their corners to facilitate the folding of these flaps and covering member to provide a container conforming in configuration to the contents within.

3. A container for a plurality of thin flexible overlapped food slices comprising, in combination, a flat substantially rectangular base member; at least one end flap integral with the base member; a pair of short score lines extending inwardly from edges of the base member adjacent the end ap in perpendicular relation to said edges to provide fold lines between the ends of the ap and the base member, a second pair of parallel straight score lines extending between the two first mentioned score lines and parallel thereto, but stopping short of said first mentioned score lines; and a third pair of relatively short score lines interconnecting the two parallel score lines at the ends thereof, the end ap being bendable through 180 to a position over and in partial registry with the base member, the second and third pairs of score lines forming a substantially rigid end Wall when the flap is so folded, the end wall having tapered end portions which extend from the ends of the parallel score lines to the end of the corresponding score line at each corner and which are defined by broken corners in the base member and the end ap formed when the end ap is folded over the base member.

4. A container for packaging a plurality of thin exible overlapped slices of food according to claim 3, also including a covering ap which is integral with the base member and is located at an edge of the base member which is at right angles to the edge of the base member to which the end flap is attached.

5. A container for packaging a plurality of thin flexible overlapped slices of food according to claim 3 in which the Corners of the end ap have crease lines adjacent thereto to aid in conforming the package to its contents, the package having a cross sectional appearance in which the end ap is parallel to the base member at the central portion of the container, the end flap and the base member being bent to meet each other at the ends, thus providing tapered end portions on the cross sectional configuration of the container.

6. A container for a plurality of thin flexible overlapped food slices comprising; in combination, a flat substantially rectangular base member; at least one end flap integral with the base member; a pair of Short score lines extending inwardly from edges of the base member adjacent the end ap in perpendicular relation to said edges to provide fold lines between the ends of the ap and the base member, the second pair of parallel straight score lines extending between the two rst mentioned score lines and parallel thereto, but stopping short of said rst mentioned score lines, the end flap being bendable through 180, to a position over and in partial registry with the base member; the second pair of score lines forming a substantially rigid end wall when the end flap is so folded, the end wall having tapered end portions which extend from the ends of the parallel score lines to the end of the corresponding score line at each corner and which are defined by broken corners in the base member and the end flap formed when the end ap is folded over the base member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

